Rose Bowl has title implications, sellout crowd

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Thanks to the BCS computer rankings, the Rose Bowl is again in the limelight: a classic matchup, a national championship at stake and controversy to spice up the mix.

The USC Trojans were shut out of the BCS championship game, but they're ranked No. 1 in both the writers' and coaches' polls and could win a split national title if they beat No. 4 Michigan.

"It's a terrific game. It's been a long time since USC has been in this position, with a chance to win a national championship," former Trojans quarterback Pat Haden said.

USC's last national title, 25 years ago, was split. They finished No. 1 in the coaches' voting and second behind Alabama in the writers' poll.

After drawing the smallest Rose Bowl crowd in 59 years when Oklahoma beat Washington State last Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Rose Bowl officials are delighted with this year's matchup.

"It's huge. We haven't had a Big Ten-Pac-10 game here the last two years, and we're glad to have our partners back in the bowl," Tournament of Roses president Mike Riffey said, referring to the conference alliance that dates to 1947.

Although the Rose Bowl had about 10,000 empty seats last January and seemed to be losing some of its luster since joining the BCS, this year's game and its implications certainly have revived national interest.

"We can thank the BCS for bringing attention to USC from all around the country," Trojans athletic director Mike Garrett said, referring to the controversy caused by USC's being left out of the BCS title game in the Sugar Bowl.

"This is our national title game."

Bids on some tickets being hawked on the Internet were topping $600 each. The face value is $125.

"This is the best game out there this bowl season," John Wangler, a former quarterback who led Michigan to a 1981 Rose Bowl win over Washington, said in Ann Arbor. "It has everything that that bowl game has stood for: the best of the Big Ten against the best of the Pac-10. It's a classic matchup.

"That's especially true because it's Michigan and Southern Cal. Those are two great programs with great tradition. These are two of the top teams in the country, if not the two top teams."

Anthony Davis, a tailback for the Trojans when they went 2-1 against Ohio State in three consecutive appearances from 1973-75, said he's being deluged with phone calls.

"I've had people asking me about tickets, to come to tailgate parties, to sign autographs," Davis said. "It's great for the Rose Bowl, with USC getting back to national prominence and getting back to the traditional game."

Since Oklahoma and LSU are playing in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, it will be the first time in the BCS's six-year history that the No. 1 team in the polls is left out of the BCS title game.

Davis was left fuming by the snub, saying the national champion should be decided by a playoff.

"It stinks," he said. "A computer never tackled me."

Haden said he has watched the Rose Bowl "for 30 or 40 years" and is excited about the traditional matchup.

"Every Dec. 31, I start getting nervous, then Jan. 1 I wake up kind of vitalized and vibrant," Haden said. "There's something about traditional games that create special memories."

Tom Slade, the Wolverines' quarterback in their 1972 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, said he thought USC was treated unfairly in the BCS standings. "But what that means is that the Rose Bowl is back to the classic it was meant to be," he said.

"These are classic schools. Everyone knows their fight songs, and everyone knows what their uniforms look like. That goes to the old tradition, and that is huge," Slade said in Michigan. "Their style of play against ours fits the old mold of the Pac-10 and the Big Ten, though we pass better than we used to. It's outstanding."

The last two Rose Bowl games didn't match teams from the Big Ten and Pac-10. Oklahoma beat Washington State 34-14 last January in a game that drew just 86,848, the lowest turnout since 1944. In 2002, the Rose Bowl had its turn in the BCS four-year rotation for the national title game, and Miami won the championship with a 34-14 victory over Nebraska.